Ageism In East Tennessee Literature Review
Running head: REVIEW OF A STUDY ON AGEISM
Journal Assignment: A Review of a Study Measuring Ageism in East Tennessee, USA
Diana Gunderson - 11036487
Psychology 216 – Prof. Dr. Morrison
University of Saskatchewan
October 27, 2009
Journal Assignment: A Review of a Study Measuring Ageism in East Tennessee, USA
The renowned gerontologist Dr. Robert Butler defines ageism as “stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old” (McGuire, Klein, & Chen, p. 11, 2008). McGuire, Klein, and Chen (2008) were interested in determining the amount of ageism present amongst older adults in East Tennessee, USA. These researchers also wanted to examine the types of ageism reported by such individuals. McGuire et al. (2008) hoped …show more content…
(2008) used convenience sampling methods to recruit community-dwelling older adults. The researchers were interested in surveying individuals 60 years of age or older (McGuire et al., 2008). They obtained 247 participants who qualified for the study (mean age = 74; 75% females). The survey was administered at eight locations in four counties in the East Tennessee area (McGuire et al., 2008). Of the eight survey sites, five of them were considered urban/suburban while three of them were considered rural. There were 151 participants from the urban/suburban sites and 96 participants from the rural sites (McGuire et al., 2008). McGuire et al. (2008) utilized a cross-sectional survey design involving the Ageism Survey. The Ageism Survey is designed to measure the frequency of ageism in different societies, determine which subgroups of the elderly report the most ageism, and determine which types of ageism are most common (McGuire et al., 2008). The survey includes 20 items that examine the frequency of occurrence of ageism along with examples of negative attitudes, stereotypes and institutional and personal discrimination towards the elderly (McGuire et al., 2008). …show more content…
While this study has demonstrated the extent of ageism in East Tennessee, it does not necessarily demonstrate how society should combat it. As a result, future research should be conducted to reveal the most effective means of eliminating ageism. Furthermore, additional research should be performed on other populations and more representative samples, such as from different age groups, ethnicities, and socio-economic statuses. Data from other countries or cultures (i.e. where the elderly are embraced) may be useful in demonstrating to Western societies the benefits and importance of elderly citizens. Furthermore, information from a variety of populations will provide a more all-encompassing view of the topic of ageism and will perhaps pinpoint a better approach to fighting it. Additional studies should make use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. It would be interesting to compare the results from an open-ended interview or case study with those from a laboratory study. By utilizing mixed-methods, the field of gerontology is exposed to a more comprehensive view of
Journal Assignment: A Review of a Study Measuring Ageism in East Tennessee, USA
Diana Gunderson - 11036487
Psychology 216 – Prof. Dr. Morrison
University of Saskatchewan
October 27, 2009
Journal Assignment: A Review of a Study Measuring Ageism in East Tennessee, USA
The renowned gerontologist Dr. Robert Butler defines ageism as “stereotyping and discrimination against people because they are old” (McGuire, Klein, & Chen, p. 11, 2008). McGuire, Klein, and Chen (2008) were interested in determining the amount of ageism present amongst older adults in East Tennessee, USA. These researchers also wanted to examine the types of ageism reported by such individuals. McGuire et al. (2008) hoped …show more content…
(2008) used convenience sampling methods to recruit community-dwelling older adults. The researchers were interested in surveying individuals 60 years of age or older (McGuire et al., 2008). They obtained 247 participants who qualified for the study (mean age = 74; 75% females). The survey was administered at eight locations in four counties in the East Tennessee area (McGuire et al., 2008). Of the eight survey sites, five of them were considered urban/suburban while three of them were considered rural. There were 151 participants from the urban/suburban sites and 96 participants from the rural sites (McGuire et al., 2008). McGuire et al. (2008) utilized a cross-sectional survey design involving the Ageism Survey. The Ageism Survey is designed to measure the frequency of ageism in different societies, determine which subgroups of the elderly report the most ageism, and determine which types of ageism are most common (McGuire et al., 2008). The survey includes 20 items that examine the frequency of occurrence of ageism along with examples of negative attitudes, stereotypes and institutional and personal discrimination towards the elderly (McGuire et al., 2008). …show more content…
While this study has demonstrated the extent of ageism in East Tennessee, it does not necessarily demonstrate how society should combat it. As a result, future research should be conducted to reveal the most effective means of eliminating ageism. Furthermore, additional research should be performed on other populations and more representative samples, such as from different age groups, ethnicities, and socio-economic statuses. Data from other countries or cultures (i.e. where the elderly are embraced) may be useful in demonstrating to Western societies the benefits and importance of elderly citizens. Furthermore, information from a variety of populations will provide a more all-encompassing view of the topic of ageism and will perhaps pinpoint a better approach to fighting it. Additional studies should make use of both quantitative and qualitative methods. It would be interesting to compare the results from an open-ended interview or case study with those from a laboratory study. By utilizing mixed-methods, the field of gerontology is exposed to a more comprehensive view of